Environmental Policy in an International Context (eBook)

Perspectives

Andrew Blowers, Pieter Glasbergen (Herausgeber)

eBook Download: PDF

1995 | 1. Auflage
208 Seiten
Elsevier Science (Verlag)
978-0-08-053117-5 (ISBN)

Infos

The three volumes of Environmental Policy in an International Context have been developed by the Dutch and UK Open Universities as part of the International Environmental Series. They accompany a workbook and six videos. The first volume takes a critical and analytical look at contemporary environmental issues built around the key questions - what are international and environmental problems, and why have they become important politically? These questions are examined from a variety of viewpoints - science, sociology, politics, law and economics. A multi-disciplinary approach is emphasised and it shows how both technical and scientific solutions need to be sought alongside

Inhalt

Cover 1
Contents 5
About the contributors 9
Preface 11
Acknowledgements 13
CHAPTER 1. ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS IN AN INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT 15
1.1 Introduction 15
1.2 Ecological interdependencies 16
1.3 Economic interdependencies 23
1.4 The role of technology as a 'double agent' 30
1.5 Political interdependencies 34
1.6 Conclusion 42
CHAPTER 2. SCIENCE ON ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS 45
2.1 Introduction 45
2.2 The environment in the eyes of a natural scientist 46
2.3 What constitutes an environmental problem? 53
2.4 How did our environmental problems arise? 57
2.5 Environmental problems: preventing and solving them 64
2.6 Conclusion 72
CHAPTER 3. THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS 73
3.1 Introduction 73
3.2 The interaction between science and policy 74
3.3 The social construction of environmental problems 79
3.4 Why did the depletion of the ozone layer become a policy issue? 85
3.5 Why did the Chernobyl fallout become a policy issue? 91
3.6 Conclusion 97
CHAPTER 4. ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS IN THEIR POLITICAL CONTEXT 99
4.1 Introduction 99
4.2 An environmental problem at Lake Toba 99
4.3 Main features of an international political context 102
4.4 Political contexts: variation and change 114
4.5 Sovereignty and the state 118
4.6 Conclusion 123
CHAPTER 5. PRINCIPLES OF INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL LAW 125
5.1 Introduction 125
5.2 International institutions 126
5.3 General features of international environmental law 132
5.4 Five general principles of international environmental law 140
5.5 Conclusion 143
CHAPTER 6. ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS FROM AN ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE 147
6.1 Introduction 147
6.2 What is economics? Some economic concepts 147
6.3 Economic functions of the environment and the laws of thermodynamics 150
6.4 Economic theory, natural resources and the environment 153
6.5 Economics and sustainable development 164
6.6 Managing the commons 169
6.7 Conclusion: Economics and environmental policy 172
CHAPTER 7. THE SEARCH FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 177
7.1 Introduction 177
7.2 Distribution and development 178
7.3 The meaning of sustainable development 181
7.4 Principles and problems for policy making 184
7.5 The process of policy making 188
7.6 Inequality and the principle of compensation 194
7.7 Conclusion: the changing role of the nation state 195
References 199
Index 205

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 19.10.1995
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Biologie ► Ökologie / Naturschutz
• Themenwelt: Recht / Steuern ► EU / Internationales Recht
• Themenwelt: Recht / Steuern ► Öffentliches Recht ► Umweltrecht
• Themenwelt: Sozialwissenschaften ► Politik / Verwaltung ► Europäische / Internationale Politik
• Themenwelt: Technik ► Umwelttechnik / Biotechnologie
• ISBN-10: 0-08-053117-2 / 0080531172
• ISBN-13: 978-0-08-053117-5 / 9780080531175